Brake



G. S. KNAPP .Bune 2, 1936.

BRAKE Filed Feb. 5, 1954 J MW H T/ N m m W w W O 0 0 Patented June 2,1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BRAKE Application February 5, 1934,Serial No. 709,798

3 Claims.

The present invention relates to a brake or clutch mechanism.

Various types or brake and clutch mechanisms have been devised, most ofwhich comprise a disk or band of frictional material adapted to be movedinto frictional engagement with a drum, or other surface to provide thenecessary variable engagement between a rotating and a stationaryelement to accomplish the required braking or clutching operation.

An object of the present invention is to make an improved and simplifiedbrake or clutch mechanism.

In order to attain this object, there is provided, in accordance withone feature of the invention, a plurality of hardened balls adapted toride in a runway in a relatively movable element, the number of ballsbeing greater than that required to provide one layer of the balls inthe runway. A relatively fixed element is adapted to be moved into therunway to force the balls into compression with each other and with therunway and with said movable element to resist the rotative movement ofsaid balls and to engage said runway and said movable element to exert abraking action between said runway and said movable element.

These and other features of the invention will be more fully brought outin the following description and the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a view, partly in section and partly in elevation, of anautomobile wheel assembly havinga brake constructed in accordance withthe present invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3'is a fragmentary view of a frangible plate having a pluralityof balls retained therein for insertion in the device;

Figure 4 is a sectional view on the line 4-4 of. Figure 3; and Figure 5is a schematic view showing the action of the mechanism during a brakingmovement.

Referring to the drawing in detail, an axle I is of a conventional typehaving ball races 2 and 3 surrounding said axle and rotatablysupportlug/a wheel hub member 4. A nut 5 is threadedly mounted on theend of the axle to retain the parts in adjusted position. The hub 4 isprovided with a laterally disposed flange 4a which is secured by meansof bolts 6 to a drum-like shell I. and to a brake ball runway 8. Theinner end of the bolt 6 is riveted, as 'at 9, and a riveted flange I0 isprovided to fixedly connect the runway 8, the

an inner tube 20 in a conventional manner.

shell 1 and the flange 5. The outer end ll of the bolt 6 is threaded toreceive a nut |2 by which a wheel element I3 is removably secured to thehub.

A wheel element I4 is fixedly secured to the wheel element l3 andcarries spokes I6 and I! which support a rim l8 in a conventionalmanner. The rim I8 supports a tire casing 9 and A closure plate 32 isremovably mounted over the outer end of the wheel element Id.

The ball runway 8 is provided with an inner layer of balls 2| and anouter layer of balls 22, the balls being of a size which preferablydispose them in the runway in substantially the relation shown in Figure2.

An annular plate 23 is splined to the shaft by spline 30 to havelimited, slidable movement thereon, and a coil spring 25 surrounds acollar 24, fixedly mounted on the shaft the spring 25 being held incompression between an annular flange 26 on the end of the collar 24 andthe outer face of the hub portion 4 of the plate 23 to normallyresiliently urge the plate 23 away from the balls 2| and 22. An annularplate 21 is securely fastened'to the plate 23 to register with therunway in which the balls 2| and 22 are mounted. A brake operatingelement comprises an annular collar 28 threadedly mounted on thethreaded inner end of the axle in co-operation with the threads 3| uponthe axle and is provided with an actuating lever 29 which is connectedin a customary manner to a conventional brake operating pedal, notshown. In its normal position the brake operating lever 29 is moved by aconventional spring, not shown, of the type ordinarily associated with abrake operating pedal, to the released position shown in Figure 1, thecoil spring 25 moving the plate 23 away from the balls in the runway 8to permit them to rotate freely in the runway, thereby permitting freerotative movement of the runway 8 and the wheel associated therewithabout the axle The operation of the device is as follows:

.Normally the parts are in the position shown in Figure 1, with thelever 29 held by its customary associated parts, not shown, in areleased position, wherein the spring 25 forces the splined hub portionof the plate 23 outwardly away from the balls 2| and 22, in whichposition the wheel is free to rotate, as the light pressure of the ballsagainst the runway 8 and the plate 23 have no appreciable retardingaction on the rotation of v tated on its threaded support to force theplate 23 inwardly to bring the plate 21 into engagement with the balls2| and 22, thereby forcing the balls into frictional engagement witheach other and the runway and the plate 23, the power of the brakingaction exerted thereby being proportionate to the force applied (seeFigure 5).

To release the parts the lever 29 is released by its actuatingmechanism, not shown, to its normal position, whereupon the springforces the splined hub of the plate 23 outwardly, carrying the plate 21to the released position of Figure 1, as shown in dotted lines in Figure5, thereby freeing the balls from compressive engagement with each otherand the runway'and with the plate 21. The full line in Figure 5 showsthe plate 21 moved downwardly into braking engagement with the balls 2|and 22. In mounting the balls in the runway it is preferred to mounteach layer of balls, namely, the layer 2! and the layer 22 separately byinserting the balls in a cork gasket as illustrated in Figures 3 and 4.An annular cork gasket member is provided with a plurality ofperforations adapted to receive the balls therein with suflicientfrictional engagement to support them in position therein, the entiregasket 35 bearing the layer of balls 2| being first inserted in therunway and then a second cork gasket carrying the second set of balls 22being positioned above the first layer, the cork gaskets being allowedto remain in position therein. The remaining parts of the assembly arethen mounted in position, as shown in Figure 1, and upon actuating thebraking mechanism the balls will be rotated to free them from the gasketmaterial. Since the gasket material is soft and readily frangible thegasket material will be ground to pieces by the action of the balls inapplying the brake and the presence of the cork in the runway will notdeleteriously affect the action of the mechanism.

The device is simple and efiective in its operation and long lived,since the rolling action of the balls on each other have a tendency toprevent wear at any fixed point and the action of the mechanism is notaffected by the presence of grease or oil in the runway, since the ballshave but a single point or line of contact with each other and with thesurfaces which they contact, the braking pressure applied by the plate23 will force the balls to penetrate any film of oil or grease that maybe present, thereby readily affecting engagement with each other andwith the associated parts. It is preferred to provide a sufiicientamount of grease in the runway so that when in normal position-the ballswill be free to rotate with each other and with the runway and the plate23 so as to minimize wear of the parts.

'While no specific construction is shown for embodying the invention ina clutch, it will be apparent to those versed in the art that themechanism may be readily adapted for such and similar uses, and in theaccompanying claims the word brake is to be interpreted as includingsuch adaptations of the invention.

I claim:

1. A brake structure comprising a brake element having a brakefacethereon, ball retaining means mounted adjacent said brake face, afrangible plate having a-plurality of openings therein, mounted in saidball retaining means, a plurality of balls mounted in the openings insaid plate to be initially supported thereby, a second similar frangibleplate with balls similarly supported thereby superposed over said firstplate, a second brake element having a brake face normally movable withrespect to said first brake face, and actuating means mounted to movesaid brake faces into compressive frictional engagement with said ballsto free said balls from said frangible plates and to destroy saidplates. Y

2. A brake structure of the class described, come prising in combinationwith a rotatable element an annular channeled track mountedconcentrically with said rotatable element to'rotate there'- with, aplurality of balls freely mounted in said track; said balls being of anumber greater than that required for a. single layer of said balls insaid track, an annular compressor plate mounted to overlie said track,saidcompressor plate being slidably supported upon said rotatableelement, spring means normally holding said compressor plate out ofcompressive engagement with said balls, and actuating means mounted toslide said compressor plate upon said rotatable element against thepressure of said spring means into compressive engagement with saidballs. I

3. A brake structure of the class described, comprising in combinationwith a rotatable element an annular channeled track mountedconcentrically with said rotatable element to rotate therewith, aplurality of balls freely mounted in said track, said balls being of agreater number than that required for a single layer of balls in saidtrack, an annular compressor plate mounted to overlie said track, saidcompressor plate being slidably supported upon said rotatable element,spring means normally holding said compressor plate out of compressiveengagement with said balls, and actuating means mounted to slide saidcompressor plate upon said rotatable element against the pressure ofsaid spring means into compressive engagement with said balls.

GEORGE S. KNAPP.

